


Nightmares and a Tender Glow

by YukiStudios



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Campfire, Confession, Fear, Light Orb, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Nightmares, Sleeping Knights - Freeform, Tender glow, Think before anger Arthur, Understanding, night light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiStudios/pseuds/YukiStudios
Summary: At night, a man's demons come to torment him and only chased away when a light is shined at them. Arthur watches over the camp of sleeping knights Merlin until his manservant starts to have nightmares.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	Nightmares and a Tender Glow

Arthur stared into the fire as he stood watch over the sleeping knights and Merlin, the fire still burnt brightly and consumed another stick that he threw onto it. The sound of cracking could be heard along with the sound of the nocturnal wildlife in the forest. Arthur listened carefully for the sound of bandits, with everyone asleep it fell on him to alert them and wake them for combat. Gwain slept close to the fire, his snoring rather loud and sometimes unbearable, close to him was Leon. Percival was sleeping near Elyan while Lancelot wasn’t too far away. The furthest away from them was Merlin, curled up under the thin blanket he had. Arthur shook his head, that man was going to freeze one night if he didn’t grab a warmer blanket. He returned to looking at the fire before giving a small sigh. This was proving to be such a boring night.

“No…I’m sorry…” came a voice nearby. Arthur glanced around nervously with his hand reaching to his sword. He couldn’t see anyone coming closer but he was still on guard. “Arthur…please…I’m sorry…” the voice came again and Arthur found the source, Merlin. Realising that his friend was sleep-talking he slowly relaxed once more. Instead he got up and walked over to his servant and noticed the tears streaming down Merlin’s face, his face looking restless as a nightmare plagued his mind.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Arthur whispered to his manservant. He never realised that Merlin suffered from nightmares…he wasn’t sure how to handle this.

“Only…for you…I’m not…a monster…” Merlin whimpered.

“Why would I ever think of you as a monster…?” Arthur asked, maybe talking to Merlin and reassuring him that everything was okay could settle him down…If Arthur’s words made it worse then he’d wake Merlin up.

“I wouldn’t…I can’t…Please…!” Merlin’s voice started to get louder.

“Merlin, you’re okay,” Arthur placed a hand on Merlin’s shoulder, hoping that would help sooth his struggling friend. His grip tightened as Merlin struggled before his eyes widened as light started to appear from under the blanket.

_Magic…_

Arthur hesitated but moved the blanket to see what was emitting the light only to see a small orb clutched in Merlin’s hand, the light it was giving off was a pale blue, much like the orb that once guided Arthur while he was after the Mortaeus flower. No, watching it this was exactly the same orb. Arthur’s first instinct was to draw his sword and slay Merlin but his body rejected it. Merlin had magic…he was a sorcerer! Why would he play servant when he had ample times to kill him or his father? Why hadn’t he done anything to them?! Magic was evil! Magic corrupted! It had corrupted Morgana yet Merlin…Merlin seemed to stay the same. He noticed that since the orb of light had appeared Merlin had fallen into a peaceful slumber. No, Arthur wanted answers now. He shook Merlin awake.

“Wha…?” Merlin asked as he glanced around before his eyes landed on the orb and then at Arthur. Realisation clicked before Merlin’s eyes were filled with fear, Arthur wanted to laugh at how quickly Merlin scampered away from Arthur. “I-i-I ca-”

“You’re a bloody sorcerer…” Arthur spoke, the orb still remained in Merlin’s hands as if it was attached to it.

“I didn’t…” Merlin started but he couldn’t get the words out before Arthur cut him off, again.

“I have every right to run you through with my sword. If you were anyone else I would have done so…but I’ll give you time to explain yourself,” Arthur was forcing back the rage that bubbled inside of him. Yes, he wanted to scream at Merlin, rage at him for lying to him all this time, for betraying him! He had to think of his knights though, they needed their sleep and he was sure that Gwain would turn against him if he hurt a single part of Merlin. It made Arthur aware that two of his possible knights were loyal to Merlin as well as Arthur. “So, we’ll start with an easy one…have you ever plotted against Camelot or its King?” Arthur asked and watched as Merlin’s eyes widened.

“No sire! I would never!” Merlin raised his voice slightly while he looked offended. “I mean there have been times…but…nothing I would do!”

“What stopped you?” Arthur asked. He needed to make sure that Merlin wasn’t a threat…the clumsy manservant who hated hunting actually planning to kill? Merlin didn’t seem capable of actually murdering anyone or anything.

“What…?”

“What stopped you doing something? You said there were times after all.”

“You.” Merlin’s response came out making Arthur shuffle slightly. Why did Arthur prevent Merlin from doing something? Merlin must have seen the look of confusion on his face and let out a sigh. “Yes…there have been times when I’ve wanted to kill the King or to simply stand by and let him die…but then I’d think about you and I couldn’t let events play. I couldn’t bare to see you hurt…so I stepped in…did what I thought was right…and let someone else take the credit…” Merlin was physically shaking, fearing that Arthur would still hurt him after this confession, but Arthur didn’t move. He was keeping his emotions under control and wanted to hear what this sorcerer had to say.

“Why protect me?” Arthur asked another question.

“Because I’m your friend…and your servant…”

“I don’t need protecting,” Arthur scoffed.

“Maybe not from swords…but you do from magic,” Merlin countered Arthur. “Sword works best against sword…but magic works best against magic.”

“Why that glowing orb…?” Arthur pointed to the light orb in Merlin’s hand. He didn’t want to admit Merlin right about needing some protection against magic, from all previous experiences magic best countered magic.

“It…helps…” Merlin looked nervous.

“That’s the same light and orb that helped me when you were poisoned. You were _dying_ and you still used magic to help? How selfless can you get?” Arthur shook his head. “I’m supposed to be mad…but now…I dunno.”

“If you want…I…I…I can le-”

“I don’t want you to ever leave my side. You hurt me Merlin, you outright betrayed me. Believe me, if it wasn’t for the fact that the knights were sleeping, I’d be shouting and raging at you.”

“But…I have magic…”

“Yes…” Arthur started before he stopped himself. He looked at Merlin and saw how fearful he was of Arthur, it just dawned on Arthur how much fear Merlin had been hiding for the sake of Camelot. Every day for him could be his last so he was forced to hide his…curse? No, that sounded wrong…gift? Magic wasn’t a gift it was a choice and Merlin had made that choice to practise it. Talent? Maybe Arthur could call it that. “Why did you study it? Why then MOVE to a place where magic is outlawed?” He asked instead of finishing what he wanted to say originally.

“I was…born with it…It comes to me…as easy as breathing does, as easy…as using a sword comes to you,” Merlin started, starting to calm himself down as Arthur moved his hand away from the sword. “I came to Camelot…to learn to control it…and I have. Only for you…I’ve only used it for you…!”

“That I can believe…” Arthur started before stopping once more. His thoughts drifted back to what Merlin said earlier…well, what he said in his sleep. Something about a monster? He turned to look at the fire before back at Merlin. The glowing light shone so brightly yet it was gentle too. “You’re the strangest person I’ve ever met…but while you were sleeping you said something about being a monster?” Merlin paled.

“I…”

“You are NOT a monster Merlin,” Arthur spoke sternly towards the young warlock. “Seeing you with that orb of light…you’re proof that not all magic is evil…how can that” he pointed to the orb “be evil?” Arthur finished.

Merlin glanced at the orb before he looked back at Arthur, a frown formed on his face as he slowly came over. Arthur watched and didn’t move away. Merlin wouldn’t hurt him, that was something Arthur knew. Merlin sat down in front of Arthur with a sad expression on his face.

“Can…I admit something?” He asked.

“Of course.”

“Sometimes…it’s lonely, to be more powerful than any man you know and have to live like a shadow. To be special and have to pretend you’re a fool. Even among those who have magic…I’m special. The most powerful warlock, they say…but I’m resigned to just being your shadow…someone unimportant and easily forgotten.”

“You’ve been suffering…ever since you were born, haven’t you?” Arthur asked.

“I’ve been told to hide myself since I was young…always fearing that my secret would come out and become rejected by everyone…called a monster because I was different. I’ve been hiding and lying for so long I started to believe my lies were true. That I’m a fool, unimportant, that magic is my only quality that makes me…me.”

“Merlin, you have more than you realise, we’ll talk more in the morning. Get some sleep and turn your night light off.”

“Not a night light…” Merlin huffed slightly with a smile on his face. He looked at the glowing orb and muttered something to distinguish it.

“Merlin?”

“Yes Arthur…?”

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you…for still accepting me.”

“Of course.” Arthur got up from his spot and moved back near the fire as he watched Merlin settle back down to get some sleep. Arthur stared back into the fire as his mind went over the conversation he had with Merlin. Merlin was the purist man Arthur had ever seen, there didn’t seem to be any visible malice, hatred or rage that threatened to corrupt him but instead radiated happiness and love for those who were deemed worthy of it. Then Merlin had admitted that he still felt some of those feelings but pushed them down for Arthur. Tonight Arthur felt like he understood his manservant more than he did before which was good…but he also had magic…which was illegal no matter how it was used. He let out a sigh and glanced over towards Merlin again. Thankfully the manservant had settled back down to sleep and was already sleeping peacefully once more.

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve your loyalty…or trust. Thank you Merlin.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, I decided to do another magic reveal story because...I like them? Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading~  
> Think I might be getting the hang of tagging...~


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